


Daily Grind

by sailec



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 23:25:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10372197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailec/pseuds/sailec
Summary: Whoever was the first person to say Mondays are the worst sure knew what they were talking about, Alec will give them that.~~~Coffee Shop (mundane) AU for the Shadowhunters AU Mondays





	

**Author's Note:**

> Skidding in on slippery socks to post a little something last-minute (day) for [this cute event](https://shadowhuntersaumondays.tumblr.com/post/158169905017) people have put together [here](https://shadowhuntersaumondays.tumblr.com/)

Whoever was the first person to say Mondays are the worst sure knew what they were talking about, Alec will give them that.

He doesn't mind spending night shifts at the fire station, would gladly sleep away the worst of the heat during the days through what's left of the summer and miss out on the morning rush when he goes to get his wake-up coffee anyway, but that kind of cheerful optimism only works when he actually gets to... sleep. Instead of waking up five hours before his alarm was supposed to go off to his phone refusing to stop ringing, his baby brother Jace's voice on the other end saying all innocently, "Oh, Alec, you awake?" like he hadn't waited nine blaring signals for him to pick up.

As it is, Alec's standing half-asleep, having just paid for his order at the coffee shop across the street from his apartment, and shuffles aside to make room for the customer next in line behind him. He huddles in on himself as much as he can while only wearing a t-shirt and shorts, spending every month of the year he can't wear a scarf when going outside sort of missing having one to burrow down in, swaying back and forth on the spot to keep himself awake. As passionate as Jace had sounded about the importance of Alec tagging along for barbecue and beer at their parents' empty lake house, Alec does plan on sleeping the whole car ride up and probably a few more hours once safely there. Sleep really is the very best thing on _earth_ , he should be doing it all the time, he really should – ...

His phone alerts him to a new text message and his eyelids snap open from where they were starting to droop. Alec picks up his phone up, blinking a few times at the light in the coffee shop, absentmindedly registering the voice behind the counter saying something before finally sliding over his takeaway cup. 

' _Where u at? Couldnt fit everyone into J's car picking u up in ten minutes b ready_ ' reads the message from Raj and Alec squints his eyes over how many of their friends are supposedly joining them. Don't these people have jobs? He lifts the cup to his lips, not really caring if the drink is hot because the only thing that matters right now is the idea of not feeling completely like a zombie anymore, enjoying the sweet caffeinated heavenly bliss of –

It's a miracle and true testimony to all the years of emergency training he's had in his line of work that both the display of his phone and the neatly arranged cookies on the counter in front of him don't end up spraypainted with whatever the hell he just put in his mouth. Alec gulps the liquid down with a disgusted frown instead, staring affronted at the cup in his hand. Whatever is in there is _not_ his usual order, or it's high time to switch coffee place.

"Um."

Alec ignores the sound behind him, still looking at the cup like maybe he'll work out what alien force brought it into this world, turning it over as he sees the name sprawled on it, six letters instead of four. "Oh," he says out loud as his brain starts to connect the dots, and another clearing of a throat behind him finally gets his attention, Alec looking over his shoulder.

"...Hello." The man behind him gives him a wave, and Alec blinks, blinks again, turns around to face him fully and maybe he did fall asleep standing up because people you meet in line at the coffee shop on a Monday morning usually aren't this dreamy.

"Uh, I – I take it... this's yours?" Alec manages to get out.

"I have to say, it's a rare day when I meet someone else named Magnus."

"I'm not – I mean, I'm. I'm Alec."

A mess and a coffee thief, is what he is, standing here introducing himself like it's a formal meeting after slobbering all over the guy's order.

The man – Magnus – just laughs, a soft chuckle as if it's all rather amusing. "It's nice to meet you, Alec," he says and holds out a hand, matte black polish on his nails and silver rings on his fingers. Combined with his swept up hair, dark clothes and makeup around his eyes, Alec has to wonder if he's some sort of rockstar Alec's never heard of, a trail of paparazzi probably lurking in the bushes right outside, just waiting for him to pop back out again. Even if he _isn't_ famous Alec feels like everyone with a camera would still react if Magnus walked by them. Magnus wiggles his fingers. "Can I – perhaps have that, please?"

Alec blinks. Looks down at the cup in his hands and blinks again. "You seriously want it?"

"Do you... have anything contagious I should be worried about?"

"Huh?" Alec stares for a moment before letting out a nervous chuckle, shaking his head and handing it over to him. "No, I – no, it's just. It was – so gross. Please take it."

Magnus's lips press together as if he's trying to hide just how much of a smile is trying to spread on his face. "I'll admit, it could always use something with a kick in it – but sadly, that's not on the menu for most places at 10am. Other than that, it's not so bad."

He looks at Alec as he lifts the cup to his mouth and takes a long sip, as if it's not only not-so-bad but something a human being could genuinely enjoy. Alec stares, he has to just _look_ a little, at this man in front of him standing so tall and confident and beautiful, like everything about Magnus is just a bit more magical than everyone else in this world, and suddenly he feels really self-conscious about how the only thing he did to fix his own appearance before leaving his apartment was sweeping a quick hand through his bangs.

Another throat clears behind them and both of them startle as Alec sees the company of people looking pointedly at him where he's blocking access to the counter.

"Oh, sorry – "

"I think that one's _actually_ yours," Magnus says and points one of his fingers, still wrapped around his cup, at the counter.

"Right." Alec grabs the coffee with a messy ' _Alex_ ' written in quick letters on its cup and hurries out of the way, stepping to the side to allow more people coming through. To his surprised delight, Magnus steps with him, not seeming to have considered the option of bolting towards the door just yet, so Alec takes the opportunity to say, "I'm sorry about – that. Long night at work."

"Ah, no harm done. You did return it, didn't you? Rather... eagerly."

Alec laughs and maybe it's Magnus smiling back, maybe it's Magnus still standing in front of him talking to him, maybe it's just how _really_ damn attractive he is that makes Alec bold enough to say, before he can give himself time to think better of it, "I still feel like I owe you a drink, though."

"Mm." Magnus cocks his head to the side and lifts an eyebrow. "What _are_  we going to do about that?"

Flirting with random people in public is really not a common experience for Alec, but Magnus is most definitely flirting back, or he enjoys the attention enough not to take offense if he's not interested in the same way as Alec is. Given how much Alec really _is_ interested, he sure hopes it's the former.

"You could – lemme buy you a new one sometime."

The smile on Magnus's face does spread fully then, a fraction of his composure being cracked down to share space with unrestrained giddiness. "I'd – love that, actually."

"Right. Great." Alec gets stuck in his own happy grin for a moment before realizing he doesn't really know anything about Magnus, has no way to contact him, and he fumbles for his phone. "I, um – if you – ... "

"I'll just text my own number from your phone," Magnus fills in and takes the phone from where Alec is holding it out for him, "and we'll both have a way of getting in touch with each other."

"Perfect," Alec says, and then, because he really needs to make it clear how much he means this in a date way, "...But I hope you realize it's going to have to be some drink other than what you have in there because I'm not paying for that monstrosity being produced."

Magnus starts laughing where he's typing, glancing up at him. "Managing to be adorable even while insulting my tastebuds. I do hope my taste in men is more compatible with your own likings." Magnus says it so casually, so easily, as if getting asked out in line while getting coffee is something that happens to him everyday.

Alec can't say he'd be surprised if it did.

"How about – we get actual drinks, then?" Alec says, waiting for the unquestionable conformation of it being a date, rather than Alec being a random guy feeling guilty enough to want to get Magnus a coffee shop gift card or something. "When it's not 10am."

"I'm looking forward to it already." Magnus hands over Alec's phone, tapping at the black screen twice. "Someone named Raj texted you, wondering if you're even awake. Maybe I should let you take care of that."

"Oh." Right. He had things to do and there was a time, not long ago, when he was wondering if he'd ever feel awake again. "I should – ..."

"...go. Me too." Magnus lifts the cup in a salute and gives him a final smile as he says, "It was really nice meeting you, Alexander. Call me."

Alec holds his breath as he watches him go, heart beating hard behind his ribcage like maybe it's trying to break free to flop out and run after him, when Magnus glances over his shoulder one last time before disappearing out through the doors. Never once in his life before has Alec been as thankful as he is now for his disrespectful little brother waking him far too early to drag him along on adventures, despite knowing Alec's been working all night. He finally takes a sip of his own coffee, unlocking his phone to text Raj back, seeing the one-word conversation he has with Magnus, the simple " _Hi :)_ " he sent to himself, and Alec grins, bright and warm like the summer sun in the sky outside.

Whoever was the first person to say Mondays are the worst clearly had no idea what they were talking about. 

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a sentence from one of those 'imagine your otp' prompts posts on tumblr, but ahh. I cannot for the life of me find it right now. Basically it went 'I took the wrong cup after buying coffee and holy shit you *drink this*?'


End file.
